notes, quotes & anecdotes of a year fast passing

orzo stuffed peppers

as most of you know, i’ve moved back to connecticut because of a new job opportunity. it’s been a much smoother transition than i thought it’d be, it feels great to be home and although my new job is pretty overwhelming right now, it’s still fun and i’m really grateful for the opportunity.

so, if you’re reading this and you’re in glastonbury, LET’S HANG OUT! i need a social life and things are a lot different than when i last lived here in oh… 2004. (is there anything fun to do or anywhere cool to go…? no?) on the other hand, if you’re reading this and you’re in massachusetts, I MISS YOU. boston and the surrounding area will always own a very, very large piece of my heart and i’ll have it be known that i wear my “bean” necklace for my beantown pride every. single. day.

anywhozlebees… i know i’ve been seriously lacking in the recipe department and now that i’m more or less settled in, in the nutmeg state, i’m determined to be back on track! keep kicking my butt and remind me if you see me slacking again. in the meantime, i’ve got three new recipes all saved up and ready to share. i’ll go in chronological order, beginning with the first dinner i cooked for mom & dad when i moved back: orzo and chicken stuffed peppers.

i had a variation of this dish a few nights before my friends janelle and dustin’s wedding last summer when janelle invited all of the girls in her bridal party over before the hectic wedding weekend began. i added chicken to the recipe to make it more of a one-pot meal, but you can certainly make it meat-free! the original recipe came from our favorite bobblehead, giada. per usual, though, i made my own adaptations!

14 oz. diced tomatoes (one can)

1 zucchini, grated

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon minced garlic (about three cloves)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

pinch of black pepper

pinch of kosher salt

2 cups low sodium, fat-free chicken broth

1 cup orzo (measure before you cook it)

2 chicken breasts, baked and shredded

5-6 sweet bell peppers (red, yellow or orange)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

[this recipe serves 5-6]

first, i’d suggest getting some prep work out of the way to make the rest of the assembly go quickly…

place the chicken in a baking dish with a little bit of nonstick spray and bake at 425 for about 20 minutes or until it’s cooked all the way through. once it’s slightly cooled, dice or shred it until it’s in small pieces rather than large chunks. keep the oven on at 400 degrees once you’re done with the chicken.

also, bring the 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil and add the cup of uncooked orzo. cook it until it’s al dente, about 5-6 minutes. it’ll cook more later. IMPORTANT: rather than straining the liquid into the sink, you want to put it into the bottom of the baking dish you’ll be cooking the peppers in. then, take the drained pasta and put it in a large bowl. (i recommend using a wire/mesh strainer if you’ve got one, because the orzo is tiny and will get all stick in the holes of a regular colander/strainer!)

add into the bowl with the orzo: drained can of diced tomatoes, grated zucchini, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. toss everything together to make sure it’s well-mixed and then set aside while you prep your peppers.

carefully slice the tops off the peppers and using a knife or spoon, scoop out the seeds and ribs that are left behind. be gentle so you don’t puncture the peppers, since they’ll become your cups. once you’re done cleaning them out, stand them up in the baking dish with chicken broth in the bottom.

scoop the contents of the orzo bowl and distribute evenly into all the peppers. if you have a little extra, then POOF! you’ve got a delicious orzo salad that’s perfectly acceptable on its own.

cover the baking dish with tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes in the 400 degree oven. then, remove the foil, sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese on the top and bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

i like my peppers to have a little crunch to them, still, but the more “well-done” you prefer the peppers, feel free to leave them in a bit longer.